Pygmy sperm whale beaches in Delray

Marine officials say it's best to leave beached animals alone

August 28, 2013|By Adam Sacasa, Sun Sentinel

DELRAY BEACH — A parasite-ridden pygmy sperm whale that beached itself early Wednesday is under examination after being euthanized. And experts say the good Samaritans who tried to help the animal may have exposed themselves to disease.

Delray police and state wildlife officers said the whale — the sixth beached whale in Palm Beach County since May — also had an infection. Florida Fish and Wildlife officials were contacted about the whale, in the 200 block of State Road A1A, about a half mile north of Atlantic Boulevard, at about 7 a.m.

Before rescue crews arrived, a crowd formed around the whale with some bystanders trying to help, said Delray Beach Superintendent of Ocean Rescue James Scala.

"It is a bit of a spectacle to see a beached whale, Scala said. "It's a pretty unusual part of nature."

But the spectacle comes with risks.

Russ Rector, a former dolphin trainer turned activist and founder of the Dolphin Freedom Foundation, says beachgoers should be wary of touching the beached animals.

"[Marine mammals] and humans are very similar under the skin, but for some reason, people think it's OK to hug a sick animal, said Rector, of Fort Lauderdale. "Everyone that got breathed on is now exposed to whatever made that animal sick."

Alessandra Medri agrees. The senior environmental analyst for the Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management Department, said it's important that people don't try to touch or push the animal back into the ocean due to numerous diseases the animal can transmit to humans.

She adds that the animal had "a lot of parasites" in its blubber, organs and around the blowhole.

"The reason why the animal strands itself is because it's very likely that it is sick. Before it gets pushed back, it needs to be fully evaluated by a marine mammal vet," Medri said.

The whales are suited for diving at depths of 1,000 to 1,300 feet, making survival rates in captivity very low, Medri said.

She estimates the whale's weight at about 800 to 900 pounds and said it was about 10 feet long. But despite the size, the whale was having a hard time staying upright due to the two to three foot chop of the waves at the time.

After efforts to save the whale fell short, it was euthanized and later taken to the Palm Beach Zoo where a necropsy — an animal autopsy — will take place to determine the cause of death.

In May, a 500-pound, 8-foot pygmy sperm whale beached itself and died near Spanish River Park in Boca Raton. A pygmy sperm whale and her calf died in June after beaching in Jupiter and another mother and calf beached themselves a month later also in Jupiter.

Samples taken from the latest necropsy will be sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Miami for further examination.

Medri said beachgoers who spot a beached whale should call the Fish and Wildlife hot line at 888-404-3922.